The invention relates to mobile communication such as, for example, mobile telephony.
The User Guide of the xe2x80x9cFizzxe2x80x9d mobile telephone marketed by Philips, contains the following remarks in the part xe2x80x9cOptimum use of the telephonexe2x80x9d on page 22. If there is no reception, the two symbols indicating reception do not appear and the message xe2x80x9cno networkxe2x80x9d is displayed. You may be in an area where the reception is particularly poor (in a tunnel or behind a very tall building, for example). Change your position and try again.
It is an object of the invention to provide better user satisfaction for a user of a mobile communication apparatus.
The invention takes the following aspects into consideration. If a mobile communication apparatus cannot be used at a certain place, this may be due to the fact that communication signals are too weak caused by the surroundings. In that case, the user may change position as suggested by the document cited above, until he finds himself in surroundings which do not weaken the communication signals too much. However, it is also possible that there are no communication partners sufficiently near, such as, for example, a base station operating according to the same mobile communication standard as the apparatus. In the latter case, the user would change position in vain one or several times until he gets tired of changing position.
According to one aspect of the invention, a mobile communication apparatus comprises a memory for storing data relating to the coverage area of a mobile communication standard according to which the mobile communication apparatus can operate. The mobile communication apparatus includes an interface for taking from the exterior data relating to the geographical location. The mobile communication apparatus includes an indicator indicating whether the mobile communication apparatus can be used or not, based on data relating to the coverage area and data relating to the geographical situation.
Let us suppose that such a mobile communication apparatus indicates that it can be used, whereas the user who is at a certain place is unsuccessful in establishing a communication. This indication makes it possible for the user to know that it may be sufficient to change position to establish a communication. On the other hand, if the apparatus indicates that it cannot be used, this makes it possible for the user to know that it is generally no use changing position or even trying to establish a communication. Consequently, the invention makes it possible to reduce the number of useless moves with the object of establishing a communication, or even to avoid such moves. Thus, the invention makes it possible to provide better user satisfaction.
Another reason for which the invention makes it possible to provide better user satisfaction is linked with the following aspects. Data relating to the geographical location may be taken from the exterior with a relatively short delay. For example, they may be taken from the exterior by a receiver that receives signals of the xe2x80x9cGlobal Positioning Systemxe2x80x9d (GPS) and derives geographical co-ordinates therefrom. This may take place in a relatively short period of time. To indicate whether the mobile communication apparatus can be used or not, it is sufficient to read from the memory the data that relate to the geographical location by deriving a conclusion therefrom. This may take place in a relatively short period of time, for example, by using a sufficiently powerful processor. Thus, the invention makes it possible for the user to know in a relatively short period of time whether the mobile communication apparatus can be used or not. This forms another reason for which the invention provides better user satisfaction.
According to another aspect of the invention, a transmission system comprises data relating to the coverage area of a mobile communication standard. This makes it possible for a mobile communication apparatus defined above to receive such a signal and substitute the transmitted data for the data relating to the coverage area which have previously been stored in the memory. The transmitted data may include a change of coverage area which was not included in the data previously stored in the memory. Thus, the signal defined above makes it possible to update data relating to the coverage area of a mobile telephony standard. Thus, the present aspect of the invention contributes to indicating in a sufficiently exact manner whether the mobile communication apparatus can be used or not.